My Real Mother
by CrazyAni
Summary: Few days after Mustafar, Vader killed ObiWan and took Luke. Seven years later, on Alderaan, Leia sees a holo of a young woman, which she dimly recognizes...LeiaPadme vignette


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing - all the characters, places and evrything else belongs to GL. No financial profit is being made. I won just the weird plot bunny. GL would probably kill me if he read this vig...

**Note:** This vignette can be considered as a sequel to "Swallowed by Darkness" - a vignette where Vader kills Obi-Wan few days after Mustafar and takes Luke.

**Timeframe: **seven years after RotS.

Warning: This story has been written by an insane and foreign-speaking author, and it hasn't been beta-read. Read at your own risk:P

**My Mother**

A beautiful morning embraced Alderaan. The streaks of pale blue touched the cloudless sky, and the swift rays of sun kissed the eternal snow on the summits. Smiles of the sun reached even the rigorous mountains, and they stretched to it, responding with a joyful game of a delicate pink. The rays of light bounced enthusiastically off the roofs, infecting people with their undying energy, and Leia could have sworn to have seen a little child sneezing from the gentle tickling and waking up.

Even though it was still early, Leia already stood by the balcony, silently contemplating the sunrise. She loved watching the dip between the mountains; it was the first spot where you could see the sun. Being in the nature felt like connecting to a strange energy, and in these short moments Leia felt as though she were merely a tiny particle of some kind of an ocean. The sensation was beautiful and inexplicable. The connection to this energy made her feel both elated and terribly sad, as if there was someone out there who loved her, but she could never reach that person.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she thought of surprises that this day could bring to her. Each day was an adventure, and each day brought many new mysteries to her, mysteries she had to unravel. Feeling the gentle touch of the sun on her skin, Leia smiled to it.

And this day was special. Today, she would at last see her father. A few days ago he had left Alderaan for a business trip, and he should have come home in the night. It was good to have him back with them again. She had heard mother sobbing in her sleep, pleading him to be careful.

_Darth Vader_.

These were words that had woken her only last night, as her mother's piercing scream reached her ears. The name sent icy chills down her spine, and a cloud seemed to cover the sun as she recalled the image of a black giant she had seen once on the HoloNet before mother switched it off. Cold, mechanical breathing…Even though disgusted and terrified by him, Leia couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to him so that he was forced to wear that suit…

_Daddy is home._

_I will see him again._

She could hardly wait to be scooped in his strong arms and to know that he wasn't hurt.

-----

Leia found him in his cabinet, bent down at a holo album. The fire crackled merrily in the fire-place. The curtains were drawn, and the room was bathed in shadows.

"Daddy, you're home," she exclaimed excitedly, walking to the desk. The reflections of the flames danced eerily on the walls behind her.

He raised his head at her voice, the smile she loved so much touching his features. "Hey, princess," he said gently. "I missed you."

He opened his arms for a hug, and Leia flung herself at his chest. "I missed you, too," she purred. It was good to see him alive and well.

"Have you been a good girl?" he asked gently, sitting down, Leia in his lap. His eyes glittered oddly.

"I think so," Leia replied lightly, but Bail's eyes were full of sadness. Why was he so sad?

"Who is that?" she asked, pointing at a holo, as her eyes fell onto the album. It was an image of a beautiful young woman. She was smiling slightly, but the smile didn't reach her enormous brown eyes. They were full of grief.

Bail stared at the picture, his eyes glassy as if he were somewhere away. "She's an old friend long gone," he said slowly.

Leia couldn't tear her gaze away from the picture. That woman seemed strangely familiar to her. It was a distant memory that was obliterated from her mind; a dream she couldn't remember…

"Before the Empire?"

The corners of Bail's lips curled, and his eyes shone in reminiscence. "Yes," he whispered barely audible.

The more Leia scrutinised the picture, the more she thought to believe that the woman was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't understand her. Who was she?

"Is she dead?" Leia asked quietly.

Bail shook his head. "No," he said softly. "She will live forever."

"Why is she so sad?"

Bail stiffened visibly. A thick silence hung between them, and Leia thought she wouldn't reply to her.

"Because _he_ was away," he said quietly, glints of fire dancing sadly in his eyes. He stroked her curls absent-mindedly, and Leia hugged him tightly.

"Did he leave her?" she asked incredulously, feeling appalled at the man who could have hurt such a beautiful woman. Her eyes were so soft, so kind…

Bail let the tiniest chuckle out, but his eyes were even sadder. "No," he said softly, his smile haunted by terrible bitterness. "No, he could have never done that. He was a warrior who had been spending months at the front lines. He was a brave and loyal man."

Millions of questions swirling in her mind, Leia continued her scrutiny of the image, an inexplicable feeling of warmness spreading in her as she thought about the woman and her mysterious lover. Somehow, she felt so drawn to her, and her heart constricted in light anguish.

"He must have loved her very much, didn't he?"

Bail's face fell, and he closed his eyes for a moment. "Only too much," he said bitterly, drawing a shaky breath.

For several long moments, there was nothing in the room but the crackling of the fire. Then there was a loud bang as the album was slammed shut, and Leia shuddered involuntarily.

"Come on, princess, let's see your mother," Bail said lightly, attempting to smile broadly.

Tearing her gaze away from the closed album, Leia nodded, and they left the darkened room. As her feet passed over the threshold, Leia looked back over her shoulder at the closed album and the sad woman that was trapped in it forever.

-----

The day passed in a blur, and Leia was already lying in her bed after what seemed only moments after she had woken up. She couldn't sleep, as images of the passed day kept swirling before her eyes in a kaleidoscope of bright colours. Smiling faces…bubbling laughter…anxious glances…fake smiles whenever she asked if something was wrong…

The adults tried to keep her away from the larger world and tried to act as though there was nothing going on, as though thousands of people didn't die every day, as though entire civilisations weren't being wiped out by the Empire…But Leia knew what conversations were being held behind the closed doors. She suspected why her mother had stumbled blindly in the corridor after another talk with father, her face tear-stricken and her eyes screaming with horror. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that the universe was as pure and sparkling as the small stream that ran behind their palace.

Leia lay with her eyes open, staring at the shadows of the trees swaying lightly on the ceiling. During the time her father was away, her mother had become horribly thin and dejected, and her eyes were haunted with fear for him. Leia was both happy at the magnitude of their love for each other, and troubled that she depended on him so much. She resembled a ghost whenever he was away…

A blue, glowing image of a beautiful young woman floated before her eyes again, and Leia felt her heart constrict in a fit of sympathy and inexplicable feeling of closeness. That woman must have suffered as much as her mother did…She looked so sad…Suddenly, Leia wished she could have talked to her, comforted her…If only she could have told the image that it was alright, and that she would see her beloved soon, maybe only days after the picture had been taken. But it was impossible – the woman was already dead, and somehow this idea made Leia far sadder than she ought to have felt about the passing of a stranger.

She turned to the side and curled in a ball under the blanket. It felt warm and comfortable. Peeking from under the blanket, Leia was certain for a fraction of second to have seen _someone_ standing by her bed, smiling at her, the visitor's eyes full of love that reached deep into her heart and made her feel happier than she had ever felt. Could it be that…?

But the moment passed, and Leia understood that it was only a trick of light. Disappointment burning her throat, she pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. She didn't know why she had the feeling to have found something that should have been with her forever only to be taken it from her again. Eventually, her lids grew heavy, and she drifted into sleep.

-----

Emerald grass rustled gently under her bare feet, and the distant waterfalls were whispering gently into her ear as she was running towards a large lake. Its surface sparkled joyfully under the sun, and the soft wind toyed with her locks. As if bumped into an invisible wall, Leia stopped abruptly, and took a mouthful of air. It was fresh and sweet, and the delicious smell of nature caught up with her, making her heart dance.

"Leia," a quiet voice said behind her back.

Her stomach made a back flip. She knew that voice, but she had never met the person that owned it. It was a voice from an intangible dream, from a phantom memory…

"You were so tiny when I saw you last," the voice said in the same gentle manner. "But you're a big girl now…"

Very slowly, Leia turned around, and a gasp escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon the person next to her. It was the woman she had seen in the holo album…But she was real now, and the magnificent curls that hung loose on her shoulder weren't bluish but chocolate, much like her own.

"You," Leia whispered, her fingers toying with her braid.

Enormous brown eyes smiled at her, infinite love radiated from the woman before her, and Leia could feel herself being blanketed in it. It was a sensation nothing like anything she had experienced so far.

"You have grown into a beautiful little princess," the woman said, still smiling, but the glow of her smile was mingled with terrible sadness.

"Who are you?" Leia asked softly, losing herself in the depth of the brown orbs.

"Don't you know?"

There was so much love, so much warmth to these eyes…But deep down, at the very bottom of the deep well that were her eyes, there was grief, fresh and untamed.

Leia shook her head, feeling miserable. She had a feeling as if she had known that woman for her entire life, she had only forgotten.

The woman's face fell. "Of course, you were too young," she said kindly, but there was an edge of bitterness to her voice.

"I'm sorry," Leia whispered, feeling even more drawn to the woman. She wanted to hug her, to hold her tightly, to make her feel better…But she didn't know how.

"How do you know my name?" she asked instead, eager to find out as much as possible about her. Maybe, she would even tell her why she was so sad.

A true, bright smile graced the woman's features. "That was how your father wanted to name you," she said, looking at Leia, but her mind was somewhere away, light years away from here.

"But-"Leia spluttered, confused.

"Not Bail," the woman interjected quickly. "Your…other father."

Leia's stomach made a back flip as her heart raced faster. She had known all along that she had been adopted, and that fact didn't change anything for her – she loved her adoptive parents, and she could have wished for no better parents than Bail and Breha. But a tiny part of her, the part that was always lying awake at night, wished to have known her true heritage. She had always wondered who she had got her looks from – was it from her mother, or from her father? Who were they? Was there still a chance that at least one of them was alive?

"You knew him, didn't you?" Leia breathed out, as thousands of questions attacked her mind. Maybe, this woman also knew her mother, her real mother…

The woman grinned, and a playful twinkle appeared in her eyes. "I did," she said lightly, and Leia knew that there was much more to the story.

"Did you also know my mother?"

"Oh, yes, I know her very well," she answered, a glint of amusement in sparkling in her eyes. A gentle breeze of wind touched her hair, and it flew gracefully, framing her youthful features.

"Can you tell me something about them?" Leia asked hopefully, a jolt of excitement rushing through her. Adrenaline surged in her veins, and Leia had to suppress a strong temptation to jump, to run, to do anything but not just stand still.

The woman laughed; the sound of her musical laughter the most beautiful thing Leia had ever heard. "You're exactly as impatient as your father," she said lightly when her laughter had somewhat subsided. "He could never sit around, doing nothing, either."

"Father told me that he was a warrior," Leia said, her words sounding odd to her ears.

"Oh, yes," the woman said slowly, a gleam of reminiscence lighting her eyes. She had a dreamy, far away look, and a faint smile kissed the corners of her lips. "He was one of the greatest warriors ever born. He was unique, and he carried a gift that only few had. It was both his blessing and his curse, and he passed that gift on you."

"I don't understand-"

"He was a Jedi," the woman said serenely. "One of the mightiest in the whole Order."

Intangible, distant feelings started swirling in Leia's mind as her thoughts drifted to her biological father.

A phantom voice whispering something to her while she had been asleep…a loving touch that wasn't of a physical nature…someone's presence brushing against her…someone who loved her very much…

A blinding flash of light exploded in her mind, and an image of a young woman started spinning before her eyes. That woman's face was covered with perspiration, and her breathing was ragged. She was looking at her intently, but the light of her eyes was fading, and there was a choking feeling of raw and bitter sadness in her eyes…eyes of a person whose heart was shattered in millions pieces…

Leia's eyes snapped open, and she stared at the smiling woman standing in front of her. The woman she was talking to, and the woman from her vision – it was the same person…But it wasn't a vision, it was a memory, a memory that had been buried so deep within her mind that she had no access to it…

And with a sudden clarity, she understood who this woman was…

"Mother," Leia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. A flood of emotions overwhelmed her, and she felt slightly dizzy. The meadow, the lake, the waterfalls – everything started spinning before her eyes, turning into a carousel of colours and noises, and Leia felt her knees giving way.

"My daughter," her mother said, her eyes glittering. She lowered herself next to her, and took her in her arms, cradling her gently. It was a beautiful and intense sensation, and Leia felt as warm and whole as she had never felt before.

"It's just a dream, isn't it?" Leia asked, her voice trembling. That question didn't need to be answered. She could feel her mother inhaling sharply, and she knew that she was fighting tears as well.

There was nothing there except the two of them. The distant noises of the trees, and whispers of the water died away, and a twister of golden light appeared around them, enveloping them in its magnificent glow.

"I'm always with you, and I have always been by your side," her mother murmured gently, placing a kiss on her hair. "I watched how you made your first step, and I wept when you said your first word. I laughed when you had fun, and wanted to comfort you when you were hurt. I'm proud of you, Leia, and I'll be forever grateful to my friends for making you the girl you are now."

Leia kept silent, and the moments passed. She watched the clouds covering the sky, and passing again. She didn't know how long they were sitting like this, just holding each other – mother and daughter who would never meet. In real world only few seconds must have passed, but here, in her dream, she had a feeling as if several days have passed by. But that was not enough, not nearly enough…

"Is father with you?" she asked finally.

"No," her mother said, and her voice cracked, dying away.

"Is he dead?"

"Worse than dead," her mother whispered in a hoarse voice, and there was so much grief in it that Leia felt the air leaving her lungs. Her mother tried to say something else, but only few indistinct syllables came out.

"Over there," she croaked after several attempts, and waved her arm to her right.

Breaking apart from her mother, Leia looked at her right.

There were two people next to her – a woman, and a man. That must have been her parents, for she recognised her mother. She was laughing loudly, throwing playful punches at the man next to her, as he held her arms, his deep, infectious laughter echoing like music in the beautiful scenery. He was young and very handsome, his dark blonde hair framing his face in loose curls, making him look both soft and invincible.

"It was one of few moments we had with each other during the war," a soft voice said by her ear. "We had ten precious days to spend with each other…And after that he was gone for five months. It was one of our last moments together before…before-"

"Before what?" Leia asked, perplexed.

Suddenly, the figure of her father became transparent, but her mother remained solid. The sun hid behind a thick cloud, and it became darker. Leia watched in horror how her father's figure began to flicker – he disappeared for a moment, and then he reappeared again…and again…and again…After each disappearance, his silhouette faded, becoming paler and more transparent.

"What is happening?" she asked fearfully, but no one answered her.

A cold gust if wind brushed against her shoulders, and her mother pulled her closer, attempting to warm her. On the meadow, her father raised his head in a rigid movement, and his brilliant blue eyes met her gaze. He smiled warmly at her, his almost boyish features shining as if lit by a ray of purest sunshine, and Leia smiled back at him, excitement surging through her.

But an instant later, the azure blue of his eyes was gone, and a venomous yellow replaced it. His handsome features twisted into a snarl, and a cold, malicious smile spread over his face. An inhuman laugher reverberated the scenery like a peal of thunder, and then both figures disappeared. The grass was perfectly smooth.

Leia sat, frozen, her eyes locked to the place where images of her parents have been sitting only seconds ago, when two hands grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.

"We don't have much time," her mother said hastily, taking off a necklace that looked like a piece of japor snippet. It looked as though a child had carved the markings on the stone…

"Take this," she said softly, putting the necklace on Leia's neck. "It should bring you luck…It did to me, and I was the happiest woman in the universe for three long years…"

"But-"Leia started, as she felt a pulling sensation at the pit of her stomach, as if something was dragging her away from the meadow.

"You must save your father and your brother," her mother said, kissing her forehead. The colours started to fade, and the pulling sensation intensified, mingled with a growing feeling of sickness.

"Brother? I don't under-"

"There is no time," her mother said, notes of desperation evident in her voice. "Just…believe in light in the darkest places, and listen to your heart."

"But how am I supposed to save them? I don't even know them," Leia said weakly, doubling over as a fit of sickness washed over her. Everything became blurry, and white mist hazed the scenery. The pulling feeling intensified even more, and Leia felt a vortex opening above her.

"Love," her mother said simply. "Love can save all of us. Trust in yourself, and don't lose hope. There is always hope."

"Mother," Leia protested, reaching her hand towards her. She could feel her feet being lifted off the ground. She was being sucked into the vortex, back to the real world, away from her mother…

"I love you, Leia," the soft voice reached from far away, as Leia felt her body being spun, twisted and squeezed through that vortex. "And your father loved you too before-"

But then everything turned black, and Leia knew no more.

-----

Leia perceived distinctly someone shaking her shoulder.

"Leia, wake up!" an urgent voice shouted desperately into her ear.

But she didn't want to wake up, she wanted to go back to her mother…

"Leia!"

This voice belonged to her adoptive mother, and she sounded scared, more than she had ever heard before.

"What's happening?" she asked drowsily, opening her eyes. Her mother's silhouette leaned over her, her eyes opened wide in shock. The edge of her consciousness perceived strange noises coming from outside, as though … battle was raging on.

The sleepiness wiped away by an invisible hand, Leia sat up straight and gazed into her mother's wide, horror-filled eyes. "What it is, Mummy?"

"Empire…"Breha whispered, her face deathly pale. "Empire attacked us…Vader is here."

Leia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and rushed to her dresser, but Breha grabbed her arm. "There is no time."

-----

They stumbled blindly through the corridors filled with smoke, and her mother carried her, a suit of handmaidens and security officers guarding them. Her father told them to flee, but he remained behind despite many protests from heads of security. He couldn't leave his people behind, and he would die defending his people…He was a brave man, and Leia admired him, but still she couldn't help but wish that he were with them.

Her mother's breath broke into pants, and her strides became shorter and shorter as they ran through dusty halls. One of the officers stretched his arms out, suggesting to carry Leia, but Breha brushed him off, clutching her even tighter to her chest. Leia could have sworn to have heard her give a strangled sob. A sound of explosion reverberated the air somewhere very close, and the whole palace shook in anger.

"Not much longer now, my Queen," Bralyh, the head of security shouted through the veil of smoke.

Leia's hand closed automatically against something that was hanging at her neck. What could that be?

Another explosion shook the air, and the ground shuddered so violently that they strived to keep balance. A beam of blaster fire pierced through the dust, and Bralyh ushered them to hide behind a large pillar. More blasts ricocheted from the walls, missing them by inches, as they ran to the shelter, Breha's ragged breath sounding like a funeral march to Leia's ears.

For a moment, Leia could see nothing but thick clouds of smoke hanging in the air, but then white silhouettes appeared in the smoke…the white figures that were despised by every single being in the galaxy. They started shooting at them, and the security fired back, but they were outnumbered. Her mother peered from behind the pillar and aimed a shot at the troopers. The jet of white fire met one of them squarely in the chest, and he fell. The faint smile of triumph didn't die from her features as another blast of fire collided with her, and a red stain started spreading over her arm.

"It's just a scratch," Breha said weakly, attempting to flash a reassuring smile at her, but Leia could see her wincing in pain. The red stain grew slowly.

"Here," Seelah, one of the handmaidens, moved over and ripped a piece of fabric from her robe. Seelah was nice, but very strict…

Blaster fell from her mother's grip and landed with a barely audible 'clank' on the floor. Leia looked around cautiously. Bralyh was shouting some orders to the others, and Seelah was tending Breha's wound while she had her eyes closed, a layer of perspiration covering her paled face. No one paid attention to what Leia was doing…

In a swift movement, she picked the blaster. It felt heavy and foreign in her small hand. Shooting was easy; she just had to release the trigger, that was all…

The blaster screamed with a crackling 'ping', and a jet of white fire pierced the smoke…only to bounce off from the figure that was blacker than night. The sound of mechanical breathing filled the hall.

"Vader," Bralyh whispered, and aimed a shot at the black monster. But the scarlet blade sprang to life, and the white fire detracted from it harmlessly.

Another jet of blaster fire collided with the scarlet blade, but…it didn't come from behind the pillar. Her heart racing faster, Leia looked left and saw her father running towards them, a few security officers hurrying to catch up with them.

"Don't harm them, Vader," he said in a clear, unwavering voice.

"Daddy!" Leia screamed, and made a motion to run to him, but Seelah grabbed her arm.

"NO, Leia!"

Vader stiffened. Very slowly, he turned to them, and his blank mask fixed upon her. Still struggling with Seelah, Leia glared back at him, and her hand closed again at something around her neck.

"Leave this place, Vader," her father said firmly. His eyes gleamed through the smoke.

"Traitor," a cold, mechanical voice boomed through the halls.

"Leave," her father requested again. His face was as hard as stone, but Leia could see that he was afraid. But it wasn't fear for himself, he was scared for another…

There was a silence, broken only by horrible sounds of mechanical breathing.

"Surrender, fool," the mechanical voice said shortly. The scarlet blade hummed menacingly. "Surrender while you still breathe."

Seelah's grip lessened for a split second, and Leia wrestled herself free. She ran to her father, ignoring the shouts that urged her to return, not caring that it was dangerous, and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her in return.

A gloved hand raised, pointing at something around her neck. It shook badly…

"Where…where do you have it from?" the mechanical voice asked. Leia could have sworn to have heard it tremble.

Leia looked down, and a startled gasp escaped from her lips. The pendant…the pendant that her mother gave to her in her dream, was hanging from her neck. But how could it have happened? It was the same piece, there was no mistake – she could see the markings carved into the stone, the markings that must have been done by the hand of a child, not much older than herself…She closed her hand around it, and felt warmth radiating from it. The same kind of warmth that she felt while she had been with her mother…the same kind of warmth that seemed to be emanating from the black monster in front of her…

"My mother gave it to me," she whispered, looking straight into the mask's "eyes". She didn't understand why she was talking to him. He represented Empire; he was the right hand of the Emperor; he was the one who had killed so many innocent people…And yet she wasn't scared of him.

With a loud hiss, the scarlet blade retracted back into the hilt.

"Leia," the mechanical voice boomed quietly in the hall. It could be called gentle…"She gave you _this_ name-"

Leia heard Bail inhaling deeply.

"You look so much like her," the black monster said softly. Leia was certain that he was smiling.

Vader turned his head to the troopers. "Release all prisoners," he said sharply. Several troopers saluted and hurried away.

Vader walked to her, and kneeled in front of Leia so that they were on one level to each other. Bail stiffened, and his hand gripped the blaster even tighter.

"Are you…are you happy here?" he asked softly.

Leia looked at the black, expressionless mask. An image of azure blue eyes flashed before eyes, but then the vision passed, and only black mask stared back at her.

"Yes," she whispered barely audible. _Why_ was she talking to him? This man was evil, he wasn't a man any longer…He was a machine, he was a twisted monster…

Vader inclined his head, and his broad shoulders slumped. As though driven by something, Leia stretched her arm and patted the black helmet. A lump formed in her throat, and a terrible weight of pity filled her stomach.

As though unable to believe what was happening, Vader raised his head very slowly, the black mask staring in opaque surprise at her.

"You're a good girl, Leia," he said gently, and this time Leia didn't notice that his voice was the one of a machine. "She would have been proud of you …_I_ would have been proud of you."

In a whirl of his black cloak, he stood up and walked to the troopers, looking lonely and heartbroken. "Retreat," he commanded shortly. And then the white troopers and the black giant figure disappeared in the smoke.

Leia watched the puffs of smoke where Vader had been standing only moments ago, her heart racing madly. The strange feeling of closeness, the same one she had experienced towards her real mother, overwhelmed her, mingled with deep, intoxicating feeling of compassion. But why did she feel so bad for Darth Vader? She knew that he had committed many unspoken atrocities, yet an unbearable feeling of pity spread over her, filling her stomach with what felt like a liquid metal.

"Father," she whispered. She didn't know at whom her words were directed – to the man who raised her as his own daughter, or to the man who walked away from her…to the man who…needed her.

"Do you want to go to him, Leia?" Bail's quiet voice said by her ear.

She had no answer. She didn't know…

He turned her around and made her look at him. "I always knew that he would find you eventually," he said quietly, his eyes filled with terrible sadness.

"Daddy," she whispered, feeling tears welling up the corners of her eyes. She felt torn…so torn. She didn't want to go, but at the same time, her entire being screamed, urging her to follow the man who gave her life. He was so cold, so lonely, and not completely lost, she knew it.

"Go, Leia," he said quietly, gently squeezing her shoulders. But how could she leave her home, her parents, and her friends? It was the place where she grew up, learned the wonders of the world, and learned the virtue of love.

"I-"

"I love you, sweetheart," her father said. "We all love you. And now go."

"Leia," she heard her mother whisper. Her eyes were wide open, and tears were streaming in rivers down cheeks.

"She has to," her father said, his voice giving a light quiver. "For our all sakes."

Her heart on fire, Leia stood up and ran out of the hall, not looking back. It would be harder for her if she said goodbye…then it would be as though she would never come back. But she was sure that she would, because Alderaan was the place where her heart would live forever.

A searing pain pierced her side as she continued running through the halls of the palace she treasured so much, people staring at her, some of them calling her, but she didn't stop…she would die if she stopped. Besides, some invisible force was driving her, whispering into her ear to hurry up of everything would be lost. A warm presence appeared by her side, ghostly arms stroking her as she ran, and Leia recognized the presence. It belonged to her mother…

She didn't know where she was running to; she just knew where she had to be…

At last, she reached the landing platform, and saw the large imperial transport being loaded. The familiar black figure supervised the process, the aura of loneliness emanating in hot, suffocating waves around him. Sensing her presence, he turned around, and Leia got the image of azure eyes widening in surprise beneath the mask.

With last ounce of strength, she ran to him, and he walked to her in long strides-

------

She was sitting in her cabin on the board of large spaceship, gazing at the infinite space outside. A loud knock on the door broke her contemplation of the space.

"Come in," she said evenly.

The door slid open, and a blonde boy with startling blue eyes entered the cabin, looking shy. He was probably the same age with her. Something about him seemed familiar, and Leia felt an unmistakable feeling of closeness flaring up in her.

_You must save your father and your brother, _she remembered her mother's words. She longed to see her again…

"I'm Luke Skywalker," he said, walking to her. "Father told me that you were my sister."

Leia's fingers closed around the pendant. "I didn't know I had a brother," she said quietly.

He shook his head. "I didn't know either," he said, smiling slightly at her. His blue eyes were so full of warmness and love. He must have been raised by Vader…by their father.

Luke broke into a wide grin. "But I always wanted to have a sister," he said.

Leia felt a grin identical to his spreading over her face. "And I always wanted to have a brother," she said sincerely.

A moment later, they fell into each other's arms. Hugging Luke felt like hugging a piece of herself, and she could tell that he felt the same.

"Father didn't know anything about you," Luke murmured into her shoulder. "But I always suspected that there was someone else out there." His voice broke. "I'm so scared, Leia. I'm scared for our father…I'm scared of him at times…"

"I'm scared too, Luke," Leia whispered. "He's full of darkness, but there's still much love in him."

"I'm even scared of myself at times," Luke said, clutching her tighter.

"Don't worry, Luke," Leia said softly. "The two of us – we will figure it out."

She didn't see a yellow gleam flashing in Luke's eyes. But it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, and Luke shuddered.

"I hope so," he murmured stiffly, breaking apart from her. For some moments, they simply looked at each other, speaking without words.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Luke said, his eyes sparkling brightly. Leia nodded, grinning at him, and they left the cabin.

"There are so many gadgets here," Luke said excitedly as they walked down a corridor. "Oh, and Father showed me how to steer a starfighter. If you want to, he could show you too-"

His clear voice echoed in the corridors of the enormous ship, and a pale, scarred face smiled from under the mask, his brilliant blue eyes shining like they used to shine seven years ago.

The giant ship continued its journey in the infinite blackness of space, and millions of star systems twinkled beckoningly at it.

A/N: There might be a possibility to write a sequel to it. Please, let me know what you thought about this vig, and whether you'd like to read a continuation.

Thank you so much in advance for sharing your opinion with me!


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